# New Kitty Cat Question--To board or not? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 11, 2010, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-kitty-cat-question-to-board-or-not/532154 "2010-03-11T20:38:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Aries28](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Aries28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aries28)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2010, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-kitty-cat-question-to-board-or-not/532154/1 "2010-03-11T20:38:17Z")
We adopted a new kitty cat from the humane society almost 2 weeks ago. She is estimated to be about 14 months old. Seems to be settling in very well. She still is exploring our house a lot and it a little skittish but not like she was the first few days. Using the litter box well…just one accident that I know of so far. We are scheduled to go out of town Saturday–Monday. We will be leaving mid morning on Saturday and coming home early afternoon on Monday. I normally board our pets when we are out of town at our vet’s office. However, since our kitty is still adjusting I thought it might be difficult for her to leave our house to go to the vet’s office for 2 days. It may confuse her or scare her? I can probably ask a friend to come by and check on her Sunday and Monday, scoop out her litter box, feed her, check her water and if she will come out, some ear scritches. Do you think that would be better than boarding her or do you think she wouldn’t care either way? ---
**Author:** ![Palo\_Verde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/65b543/32.png) [@Palo\_Verde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palo_Verde)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2010, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-kitty-cat-question-to-board-or-not/532154/2 "2010-03-11T20:40:28Z")
I think it would be much better to keep the kitty in her own home if you can. She is still getting to know the place and I think it would be confusing to move her somewhere else ---
**Author:** ![Stainz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecd19e/32.png) [@Stainz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stainz)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2010, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-kitty-cat-question-to-board-or-not/532154/3 "2010-03-11T20:47:17Z")
I agree with the above. If you can have your friend come by to take care of her, that would be preferable. Plus, you must post pics! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2010, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-kitty-cat-question-to-board-or-not/532154/4 "2010-03-11T20:47:56Z")
Let her stay home. If her box gets scooped and she has food and water, she’ll be fine. If you board her, she might feel like she’s been found wanting in some way because you’ve “returned” her. Easier on the poor kitty’s psyche if she can stay home. ---
**Author:** ![malkavia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malkavia/32/5621_2.png) [@malkavia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/malkavia)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2010, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-kitty-cat-question-to-board-or-not/532154/5 "2010-03-11T20:51:45Z")
I agree with what’s been said, but I also wanted to thank you for adopting a non-kitten from the Humane Society, as good adult cats are so often overlooked there. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2010, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-kitty-cat-question-to-board-or-not/532154/6 "2010-03-11T20:55:09Z")
Even if you can’t get someone to come over to check on the kitty, I strongly suspect she’d prefer to be left alone. Leave out extra food & water, and she’ll be fine. Might appreciate some quiet time to herself to acclimate to the new environment. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2010, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-kitty-cat-question-to-board-or-not/532154/7 "2010-03-11T23:12:12Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > Even if you can’t get someone to come over to check on the kitty, I strongly suspect she’d prefer to be left alone. Leave out extra food & water, and she’ll be fine. Might appreciate some quiet time to herself to acclimate to the new environment. I agree 100%, two days is nothing for a cat. She might even appreciate some alone time. If you can get someone over to play with her fine but if not for two days the cat will cope. Of course you might find everything pushed off your dresser onto the floor 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Hanna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b3f665/32.png) [@Hanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hanna)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-kitty-cat-question-to-board-or-not/532154/8 "2010-03-12T00:20:09Z")
Another vote for home alone. Where’s the pics? ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-kitty-cat-question-to-board-or-not/532154/9 "2010-03-12T00:49:19Z")
> [@malkavia](#): > > I agree with what’s been said, but I also wanted to thank you for adopting a non-kitten from the Humane Society, as good adult cats are so often overlooked there. The very best cat I ever adopted . . . and the most recent . . . was 7 at the time. In fact this weekend he’ll be turning 9. He had been at the shelter for many months; nobody wanted a 7-year-old cat. But I’m glad they didn’t take him, so I could. (And don’t tell my other cat that he’s my favorite.) ---
**Author:** ![whiterabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/cab0a1/32.png) [@whiterabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whiterabbit)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-kitty-cat-question-to-board-or-not/532154/10 "2010-03-12T04:41:07Z")
Adult cats can make excellent adoptees. My Sapphire was either seven or eight when I brought her home (previous humans were confused, at different points in the paperwork said both), a year ago last November. Kittens are awesome but she picked me at the shelter and what sort of a cat person would argue with a Siamese who’d picked them? When I brought her home I didn’t expect to see her for a couple of days; within two hours she had climbed up on the sofa next to me and started purring _loudly_. Apparently my obedience (in bringing her home) pleased her. I’d say get somebody to come by once or twice to check on her food and water and such. She’s been through a lot lately, even though it’s been in a good way. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-kitty-cat-question-to-board-or-not/532154/11 "2010-03-12T13:36:18Z")
If you do get someone to come over, make sure they’re introduced first. You don’t want them to find out the hard way that you’ve taken in an [Attack Cat](http://misty69stuff.blogspot.com/2008/02/attack-cat-some-years-ago-friend-of.html). 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-kitty-cat-question-to-board-or-not/532154/12 "2010-03-12T14:49:49Z")
Two days is nothing. She might be a bit lonely, but she’s certain to be a lot less stressed than if she is packed up and taken to boarding, which she may well equate with being abandoned again. ---
**Author:** ![EvilTOJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee59a6/32.png) [@EvilTOJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EvilTOJ)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-kitty-cat-question-to-board-or-not/532154/13 "2010-03-12T15:05:31Z")
Two days? Bah just heap up the cat food and fill an extra water bowl, and scoop the litter just before you leave and she’ll be fine. Jasmine was 8 when I got her, and black as well. She hid and cowered when they brought her out for a meet and greet at the Humane Society.There was no way anyone would adopt her. It was love. Kittens are adorable, but I don’t have time for their energy anymore. I prefer cats slower and lazy. ---
**Author:** ![Aries28](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Aries28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aries28)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-kitty-cat-question-to-board-or-not/532154/14 "2010-03-12T17:29:55Z")
Thanks for all the input. Our neighbor has agreed to look in on her Sunday but for the most part I think we are going to leave out some extra food/water, keep her confined to one level of the house and give her some down time. We thought about a kitten but our youngest child is 19 months old and we decided it wouldn’t be fair for a kitten to have to tolerate a potential threat in a toddler. Too much that could go wrong with him not understanding how to treat a kitten. Both our dogs are shelter dogs too. One is blind and the other is 9 years old and acts like he’s still a puppy. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-kitty-cat-question-to-board-or-not/532154/15 "2010-03-12T20:52:33Z")
Assuming you will also have timers for those lights that will turn on and off while you’re gone (the lived in look), use one for a radio. Tune it to a station that mixes music with talk (easy listening is ok but no all talk or heavy metal). Keep the volume low. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2010, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-kitty-cat-question-to-board-or-not/532154/16 "2010-03-12T23:15:41Z")
I’ve left my cats for a week at a time with only a couple of visits from friends. The litter box shouldn’t need daily cleaning for one cat. Your concern is fresh water and food. Water should be in a dish that can’t be tipped over. I always left enough food and water in case my friend became sick and I couldn’t find an alternate. ---
**Author:** ![whiterabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/cab0a1/32.png) [@whiterabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whiterabbit)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2010, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-kitty-cat-question-to-board-or-not/532154/17 "2010-03-13T03:17:07Z")
I live in a studio. I wanted an adult cat; I have no room for kitten crazies in here. Sapphire is an excellent snuggle cat at night and sleeps by my feet. A kitten would attack them! ---
**Author:** ![Tethered\_Kite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a5b964/32.png) [@Tethered\_Kite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tethered_Kite)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2010, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-kitty-cat-question-to-board-or-not/532154/18 "2010-03-13T03:23:49Z")
As much as I hate to admit it, it’s my understanding that cats are more attached to their surroundings than they are to their humans. I think you would be doing kitty a kindness by allowing her to have some time alone in her new home. And I wouldn’t worry too much about her getting lonely. Kitties sleep away their alone times, usually. For a special treat, and to ease anxiety about her having enough water, you may choose to leave the toilet seat up. Heh.